The Duncans in the Penthouse
by Jameer14
Summary: Amy gets a job interview for a news position in New York and brings the whole family. In NY, The Duncans meet the Rosses, who are generous enough to let the Duncans stay at the Penthouse. But when Amy gets the job, things begin to unravel since Bob doesn't want to move. Meanwhile, Gabe, Emma, Rosie, and Zuri try to solve an old murder mystery that took place atop the apt roof.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, I am Jameer14. This is my first sitcom fan fiction that I've ever written, so I'd like to see how it goes. I ask that you all please review! It helps me as a writer and when you do, I make the story a priority to update. ****_Note_****: This takes place before the Season 3 finale and JESSIE characters will start entering the story in Chapter 2 & 3. Anyway, without any further ado, here is ****_The Duncans at the Penthouse_****. Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 1**

Bob, Teddy, Gabe, Charlie, and Toby sat in front of the TV watching 9 News Denver, when Amy entered the house, panting with excitement.

"Uh, Mom, are you okay there?" asked Gabe. "It's only spring break. It shouldn't be too hot outside."

"Guys," breathed Amy. "You'll never believe what happened at school today."

"Yeah, uh, I'll be at Jake's house," said Gabe as he stood up, but he sat back down after his mother shot a mean glare at him.

"So I saw an ad a few weeks ago saying that ABC World News was looking for a few new medical correspondents to rotate their morning and evening newscasts," began Amy.

"Oh, boy," muttered Bob.

"I had sent in the application last month and they called me today during work, offering me a job interview," Amy said. "It's gonna be tomorrow at 3:30 P.M. Eastern time."

"So you're gonna fly off to ABC News' World Headquarters in New York City for a job interview that's tomorrow?" asked Bob. "Its kinda last minute, don't you think?"

"No, because ABC _did_ offer me an interview that would be in a couple of weeks, but I didn't wanna wait that long," said Amy. "So they gave me the soonest time that they were available. _And_, I'm not going alone! You guys are coming with me!"

"What?" asked Teddy. "I don't see why the rest of us have to go. I agree with Dad. You're kind of rushing into this, Mom."

"Come on, guys!" said Amy. "I've already called PJ. He's gonna meet us at the airport tomorrow for our flight at 7:08 A.M. our time. We can make this a fun family vacation."

"Oh, yeah! That _really_ makes me wanna go," Gabe said sarcastically.

Bob sighed and stood up. "Honey, I really think that we should talk this over as a family before you go rushi—"

Amy glared at her husband.

Bob sighed again. "If anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs packing." He took Toby and walked up the stairs followed by Charlie.

"I suggest that you two follow your father's example," Amy said.

Gabe got up and headed up the stairs.

Teddy stood up and looked at her mother. "Mom, this is really inconvenient! I had plans with Ivy tomorrow. Besides, you never said why we all have to go."

"Well, if I get the job, we'll have to move to New York," replied Amy. "We could look over places to stay while we're there."

The next morning at about 2:15 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (11:15 A.M. Mountain time), the Duncans had already gotten off the plane at the JFK international airport and were at the wing where they could take a taxi into the city.

Amy was wearing a formal business skirt, shirt with a coat over it, and heels. She told her husband to go find a hotel while she went to the ABC headquarters.

After Amy hopped into a taxi and left, Bob turned to PJ, Teddy, Gabe, and Charlie.

"Here's the game plan," said Bob. "I'll take Toby and me and your mother's luggage while you four can go sightseeing. But I _stress_ the importance of staying together. No one goes wandering off and make sure to keep a good eye on Charlie." Bob (holding Toby and the luggage) hailed a taxi, got in, and left.

"Alright, let's make this fun," said Teddy. "We can go to Times Square! How does that sound?"

"You can do that," said PJ. "I'm off to go visit Skylar."

"Uh, PJ, Dad said that we need to stay _together_," Teddy reminded him.

"Hey, I'm _eighteen_!" countered PJ. "I'm pretty sure that I can handle visiting Skylar on my own. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the car rental company with the lollipops."

As PJ walked off with his duffel bag, Gabe muttered, "Yeah. Let's see how _voting_ goes."

Teddy sighed. "Well, Gabe, it looks like it's just you, me and Charlie."

"_No!_" said Gabe sarcastically. "I did not know that. Thanks for pointing that out."

"Oh, come on, Gabe," Teddy said. She picked up her own duffel bag along with her sister's. "We can find a way to make this fun. Right Charlie?"

"Yes!" replied Charlie.

Gabe picked up his duffel bag. "I highly doubt that," he said. "But one can only hope."

**Well, there's the first chapter. What do you all think? As I said in the beginning, it really helps when you review. It doesn't take too long to do. Also, let me know of things I could do to make this funnier. I want this to sort of be a comedy.**

**~ Jameer14**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for Chapter One. Especially to Amber Johnston, for assessing the characters and the humor. I'll be sure to do better with Amy and PJ when they return to the story. Anyway, I hope that you like Chapter two and when you finish, let me know what you think. Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 2**

Teddy, Gabe and Charlie sat in the back seat of a taxi headed towards Times Square as the rain began to fall.

"That's not good," said Gabe as he looked out the window. "Do we have our umbrellas? The thing that would make this family vacation more enjoyable would be wandering in the rain."

"I don't know if we have the umbrellas," Teddy replied. "But Gabe, could you at least make an effort to enjoy the trip."

Before her brother could respond, the taxi driver told them that they were almost there and to have the money ready.

Teddy looked at the fare. It was fifty dollars. She sighed and dug into her purse, looking for her wallet. It wasn't there.

Teddy began to panic internally. She feared that someone had stolen it. But as Teddy did a mental replay of the last eighteen hours, she realized that she had left the wallet on her dresser by accident.

_Well, that was very smart of me_, Teddy thought.

She elbowed her brother. "Hey, Gabe, do you think you would be able to pay the taxi fare?" Teddy asked.

"No," said Gabe. "PJ has my wallet."

"_What_? Why does he have it?"

Gabe sighed. "Back at the airport, PJ wanted to buy some stupid t-shirt from a vendor that doesn't accept debit or credit cards, so he asked me if I had any cash. I handed him my wallet and naturally, he forgets to give it back," explained Gabe.

Teddy rolled her eyes and leaned forward to speak to the taxi driver.

"Hi, uh, instead of cash, do you accept items in exchange?" asked Teddy "Like Gabe's watch. It's pretty nice!"

"Hey, why mine?" Gabe said.

"Because I'm not the one who just gave my wallet away," answered Teddy.

"Says the girl who leaves hers at home," Gabe fired back.

The taxi suddenly pulled over and screeched to a halt.

Teddy sat back in her seat. "This can't be good."

The taxi driver glared back at the three kids. "_Get out of my car_!" he seethed.

As the Duncan children unbuckled their seatbelts, Charlie said, "You're mean!"

Teddy, Gabe, and Charlie piled out of the car and stood under an awning the taxi was next to.

The driver reached back, slammed the doors shut, and sped off.

"No!" said Teddy. "He has our bags!"

The door holder to the apartment noticed the three Duncans. "It seems that every time that a taxi driver doesn't get paid, the riders are thrown out here," he said. "Well, it's not like it happens too often."

Gabe noticed that the door holder had a noticeable New York accent.

"Well, now we have no food, clothes, or money and are stuck out in the rain until our father contacts us," said Teddy.

"Oh, I think that I can help you all out there," the door holder said. "My name is Tony, by the way." He held out a hand to shake.

Teddy took it and shook it. "I'm Teddy Duncan and these are my siblings, Gabe and Charlie."

Tony squatted down to Charlie's height. "Why you're quite the cutie," he said.

"Thank you," replied Charlie. "You too."

"Aww, thanks," said Tony as he stood up. "She must have noticed my epaulets."

"Your what?" asked Gabe.

Tony patted his shoulder. "These are my epaulets. Your little sis has a fine taste in clothing"

"_Right_," said Gabe sarcastically.

"Anyway, follow me," said Tony. He walked into the apartment.

"Where are we going?" asked Teddy as she, Gabe, and Charlie followed the door holder.

When Tony got to the elevator, he pressed a button. "I'm taking you all to a place to stay until the rain stops," he said as the waited for the elevator. "Maybe even longer. In have a feeling that you'll get along with the Rosses."

The elevator doors opened and the four of them stepped in. After the doors closed, Tony pressed a button and the elevator began to ascend

"This is a very nice place" observed Gabe. "I know that you probably work here, but do you live here too?"

"I wish," Tony replied. "But my girlfriend does."

"And I'm guessing you're taking us to your girlfriend's place," said Teddy. "Are you sure she won't mind?"

"Well, the butler probably will, but I'm sure that Jessie will let you stay once she knows your situation," Tony answered. "She knows what it feels like to be tossed out of a taxi."

Teddy was about to respond, but the elevator doors opened into a large penthouse suite.

**Well, there's Chapter 2. Feel free to let me know what you think by reviewing. I'll hopefully have Chapter 3 up soon.**

**~Jameer14**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd really like to thank the people who review for this story. It gives me an idea of how I'm doing and what I do better. Please continue to do so as the story rolls on. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter. Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 3**

After marveling at the penthouse for a few seconds, Teddy said, "This place is amazing! We could fit our own house in it!"

"I know right," agreed Charlie in her cute four year old voice.

"The owners of this penthouse are a movie producer and a model," Tony told them. "That's why everything's really fancy."

"_You're dating a supermodel_?" asked an astonished Gabe.

"No," replied Tony. "The producer is married to the model and have four children supervised by an eighteen year old nanny. I'm dating the nanny."

"Oh, well that makes more sense," said Teddy. "No offense, but the chances getting a supermodel to fall for you aren't in your favor."

Tony shrugged, knowing it was true. Then, looking up at the top floor of the stairs, he said, "Hey, Emma!"

Gabe, Teddy, and Charlie looked in the direction that Tony was looking in and saw that a blonde girl who looked to be Gabe's age was looking down at the four of them over the balcony.

"Hi, Tony," said the girl, presumably Emma. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, this is Gabe, Teddy, and Charlie," replied the door man, gesturing to each of them respectively. "Get this: I met them the exact same way that I met Jessie! I think it could be a sign!"

"True," admitted Emma. "But you can't just bring strangers into our apartment! "

"Just anyone can waltz into this place using the elevator," Gabe pointed out. "What's the difference?"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. A girl who looked to be the same age as Emma and wearing somewhat dark clothes strode in."

"See," said Gabe. "I've proven my point."

Emma sighed. "Actually, that's just my best friend Rosie," she said as she walked down the stairs.

"Hey, Emma," said Rosie as she went to greet her friend at the base of the stairs. After doing so, she said, "So who are the new people?"

"Just some kids Tony felt pity for and brought them inside," replied Emma. "Though it's a good thing they met me. _Clearly_, one of them needs some fashion tips." She glanced right at Teddy.

"Are you saying that I can't dress?" asked Teddy. She looked down at the clothes she had on. She was wearing a blue blouse with brown flowers on it, a leather vest over the blouse, jeans, and brown boots.

"_Yeah_! Those boots are _soooooo_ last season," Emma said. "But don't feel bad. Our nanny is even worse with fashion."

"You better take her seriously," Tony said. "She has her own web show devoted to fashion."

"I'll be sure to check it out," Teddy said reluctantly.

"Remind me to give you the DVD with all the episodes," said Emma. "It'll be free of charge."

"Thank you," said Charlie.

"_Awwwww_!" Emma put her hand over her heart. "She's so cute! And she knows what she's talking about."

Gabe laughed. "You know, maybe this trip won't be so bad?" he said. "Right, Teddy."

His sister sighed. "I wouldn't bet on it."

Tony began to walk towards the elevator. "It was nice talkin', but I gotta get back to work," he said. Tony pressed a button, the door opened, and he stepped inside the elevator.

Emma turned to her best friend. "Come on Rosie, let's go get a snack in the kitchen," she said. Then, she looked at the three Duncan kids. "You're welcome to join us if you want."

"Eh, no," said Teddy. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"I'd be happy to join you two," said Gabe. "Teddy's doing us a favor anyway. She's not the most fun person to hang out with."

"Oh, really," said Teddy. "And you're so much more fun to hang out with."

"Exactly!" said Gabe. "That's how I was able to sit at the eighth grade table when I was in seventh grade."

Teddy rolled her eyes. "Is there anything else I can do?" she asked. The last thing she wanted to do was be the butt of all of Gabe's jokes just to impress the two girls.

Emma thought for a moment. "Well, you could watch TV in the screening room," she said. "It's just go through the curtain next to the elevator to get there."

"Thanks," said Teddy. "I'll do that."

Emma led Gabe and Rosie through a door into the kitchen.

"Come on, Charlie, do you wanna watch some TV?" asked Teddy as she set her sister down next to the suitcases. Hopefully, someone would take care of those.

Charlie nodded and Teddy led her into the screening room.

**Well, that's Chapter Three. What do you think? Please let me know by reviewing! **

**~Jameer14**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I don't have much other to say than thanks to the reviews and please keep doing so! Anyway, here's Chapter Four! Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 4**

Bob was not enjoying this trip. In his left arm, he had Toby's carrier hanging from it. He was also holding an umbrella and a map in his left hand. Using his right hand, he dragged the luggage, which luckily had wheels. He was also having no luck finding an affordable hotel to stay in.

A lot of those problems, however, were about to dissolve.

Bob was walking with the flow of people on the sidewalk of a street that he didn't know the name to.

A couple of yards in front of him, he saw that a young woman wearing a flowery dress with cowboy like boots with long, brownish-red hair drop a large brown paper bag filled with several spray cans that rolled all over the sidewalk.

The woman bent down to pick them up, but everyone else just either stepped over or around the spray cans, seeming indifferent to the woman.

As Bob approached her, he thought, _Should I be a good person and help her, or do what everyone else is doing?_

The next thing he knew, Bob had set down everything that he was holding, including Toby's carrier, and was helping the woman gather her items.

After all the cans were picked up off the ground, both bob and the young lady stood up.

"Thanks, for helping me," said the woman. "You're not from around here. Are you?"

"Nah," said Bob. "I'm from Denver. I've only been here for maybe an hour or so, so the city hasn't had time to influence me yet. My name is Bob, by the way. Bob Duncan."

"I'm Jessie Prescott," said the young woman.

After the two of them shook hands, Bob then realized that he was still holding a spray can in a hand down by his side. As he handed it back to Jessie, he saw what it was for.

"Hey, how come you've got a bunch of cans for roach killing?" asked Bob.

"Oh, well, with all this rain that we've been having lately, there's a pest problem at the place where I live," said Jessie. "We found a roach nest in Luke's room and a swarm of ants in the screening room the other day."

"You know, I _am_ an exterminator," Bob told her.

"Really?" said Jessie. "Do you think that you could look at my pest problem? These sprays almost never work, and the exterminators in this city charge a ridiculous rate that my paycheck can't afford. You see, back where I came from, the only way to get rid of bugs was to buy animals that would eat them. That can get annoying if you have a really bad pest problem. Bur never put two ant eaters in the same room. You only make that mistake once."

"Uh, okay," said Bob. "Anyway, I'd be happy to take a look at your pest problem. I'm sure that what I charge is a better deal than the exterminators here."

"Great! Follow me to my place," said Jessie. "I don't live too far from here."

Bob picked up his things and began to follow her. At least he'd be getting out of the rain.

* * *

PJ could hardly contain his excitement as he pressed the button on the elevator to go to the ninth floor. In a few short minutes, he'd be able to see Skylar again for the first time in a long while. He'd made sure to freshen up in the bathroom of the store where he'd bought a bouquet of flowers.

The doors opened, and PJ walked towards Skylar's apartment.

As he got closer, PJ hoped that his family would be staying here for quite a while. If things were gonna go the way he'd hoped, then he might just buy an apartment in the Big Apple. The only reason that he'd agreed to go with the family for Amy's job interview was because he knew that ABC's headquarters was in New York. Had it been any other city, PJ would have declined. Well, maybe he would have gone to Orlando. He's always wanted to meet the characters at Disney World.

Once PJ saw the right door, he rang the doorbell and put the bouquet of flowers behind his back.

The door opened and some jock looking teenager who looked like he could be a quarter back for the local high school football team stood there. He was wearing a New England Patriots Jersey and sweatpants and was about six inches taller than PJ.

"Are you the pizza guy?" snapped the teenager. "Because if you are, I hope you know that you're not getting a tip. The pizza was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"No, I'm not the pizza guy," said PJ. "I'm looking for Skylar."

The teenager glared hard at PJ for a second. "She's not here," he growled.

"Well, where is she?" asked PJ.

At that moment, much to the dismay of the teenager, Skylar walked to the doorway.

She gasped. "PJ! It's been so long!" Skylar reached out and hugged him.

After it ended, PJ asked, "So, who's this?" He gestured to the scowling teen.

Skylar wrapped her arms around the teen's chest. "This is Chad. My boyfriend."

**Well, there you go. So, what do you think? Please let me know by reviewing! Thanks!**

**~Jameer14**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, Everyone. I know that at the end of Chapter 4, I left it at a sort of cliffhanger with PJ and Skylar. Since I pre-write these fan-fics, I did not start Chapter 5 with what happens next between the two of them. That will be addressed at the beginning of Chapter 6. But don't worry; this chapter will be just as entertaining as the others. I hope that you like it, and don't forget to please review. Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 5**

When Emma led Gabe and Rosie into the kitchen, the first person she saw was Bertram. The butler was pouring some orange juice into a glass cup on the counter next to a plate.

Bertram looked at the three teenagers and scowled. "Great, more youth," he said unhappily.

"Who's this happy fellow?" asked Gabe as he, Emma, and Rosie sat at the table.

"Oh, that's our butler, Bertram," Emma said. She was sitting at the head of the table with Gabe and Rosie on either side of her. She turned around to look at the family butler. "And Bertram, this is Gabe and Rosie."

"Like I care," said Bertram as he pulled a bowl of grapes from the fridge and set it on the dining table. "It's bad enough that I have to deal with four children. Do you expect me to get excited whenever you guys bring home one of your friends?"

"Hey, you can't just go dissing kids like that," said Gabe. "At least we have hair. And we can be the solution of all the world's problems."

"More often, you're the cause," said Bertram. "But if children could grow back my hair and shed some of my pounds, you'd be my hero."

Gabe put his hands up. "Don't put all that pressure on us," he said. "We're only kids. Not miracle workers."

Bertram narrowed his eyes at Gabe. "Why aren't you the little comedian?" snarled the butler.

"I'm good, aren't I?" said Gabe as he smiled smugly and put his hands behind his head.

"Hilarious," replied Bertram. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my pre-nap snack in my room." He left the room via the doorway that has no door.

"He has a pre-nap snack?" asked Gabe. "What is this? Does he have a pre-bedtime nap too?"

"Actually, he does," answered Emma. "For a butler, he's actually quite lazy."

"This does not surprise me," said Gabe. "He gets all offended by my jokes, yet he's really not helping himself with these things he does before going to sleep."

Rosie took a grape and shrugged. "Hey, what can you do? It's the American lifestyle."

At that moment, Luke and Zuri entered the room through the swing door.

"Hey, Emma, you'll never believe what we found in the lobby," said Zuri. "So me and Luke were with Tony and on his desk, we found a document that had information about an unsolved murder mystery that took place at this apartment fifty years ago!"

"That's nice," said Emma. "But why are you telling me?"

"Because after detectives gave up on the case ten years ago, the state of New York opened the investigation to the public," Luke answered. "And if you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt who the murderer was, the state will hand over a $500,000 reward!"

"And we have the list of suspects as well as the address of the place that has some of the evidence right here," said Zuri as she held up a manila folder.

"Wait, so you're probably the richest person I know with all this money, and now you're pursuing a $500,000 prize?" asked Gabe.

"I know, right?" agreed Rosie.

"Well, it's not like our parents really let us use their money," admitted Luke.

"Yeah, it's true! Our allowance is only $2,000 a week," added Zuri.

"Whereas mine is twenty," said Gabe.

Emma put a hand on her heart and gasped. "How do you live?"

Rosie and Gabe shared a look. "Like the rest of us who aren't filthy rich," replied Gabe.

"_Anyway_," said Zuri. "There's one more thing I wanted to ask you, Emma. I wanted to know if I could make a web show out of this, kinda like how you do Kitty Couture. I think that we could make it a lot more fun that way."

"Plus, the camera has a huge crush on me, but she's just too shy to admit it," said Luke. He pulled sharply on the collar of his shirt.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't see why not," she said. "But we can't tell the audience why we're doing it. Or else someone else will use the clues we gather and try to solve it before we do to get the prize."

"Sweet!" said Zuri.

"How many episodes do you plan on having?" asked Emma. "And do you want to do it live?"

Zuri shook her head. "I think that this should be pre-recorded in case things go wrong or we have a major lead that we don't want to share yet," she replied. "And as far as the episodes, I don't know yet. "Every time that we go up there, I want to do some filming."

"Wait, what do you mean…_up there_?" asked Emma.

"Yeah, _about _that," said Luke slowly. "The murder took place atop the roof. We thought that it would be a good place to start."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that Jessie would have a problem with us going up there," said Emma. "I want to do this, but it looks like we'll have to do it behind her back."

"Without getting caught," Luke added.

Gabe stood up. "I guess this is where I come in," he said. "I know that some of you don't know me, but my name is Gabe and I don't mean to brag, but I'm kind of a pro when it comes to doing things behind other people's backs. I do it all the time with my parents. So I think that I can help you out."

Rosie looked at Gabe. "You seem like that kind of guy," she acknowledged.

"Great!" squealed Zuri. "I'll get the umbrellas, Emma, you can get the cameras, and Luke, do us a favor and brush your teeth before we go. I know that the viewers can't smell your breath, but we can. And it's not pleasant."

**Well, there's Chapter 5. What do you think? Does it need to be funnier? Am I doing well with the characters? Please let me know by reviewing. I appreciate it when you do, because it helps me as an author.**

**~Jameer14**


	6. Chapter 6

**As promised, this Chapter will start with PJ and Skylar. I hope that you like this chapter and it's just as great as the others. Well, enjoy!:**

**Chapter 6**

For a second, PJ just stared at Chad and Skylar. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Sure, he'd dated other girls since he'd last seen Skylar, but none had been as great.

"PJ, are you okay?" asked Skylar. "You have moved on, right? You said you would."

PJ blinked out of his stupor. "Of-of course," he replied. "These flowers that I have… aren't even for you. They're for…Chad. To congratulate him."

He thrust forward the bouquet, but Chad bared his teeth and hissed. PJ put the flowers back to his side.

"Don't feel bad," said Skylar. "Certain flowers can give Chad allergies."

"I thought that we weren't gonna tell anyone about that," whined Chad, obviously annoyed.

Skylar ignored him. "Well, it was great seeing you again, PJ," she said. "_Hey_! Maybe me, you and Chad could have dinner while you're in town."

"Of-of course," said PJ. "It'd be- _beeee_ the perfect time for me _toooooo_… bring my new girlfriend."

Skylar gasped and put a hand over her heart. "_Awwwww! _You have a girl friend?" she asked. "Is she in New York with you?"

"Uh …yeah in fact _sheeeee_ lives here," PJ answered. "We met on Facebook. That's really the only reason that I'm in this city in the first place."

"Why are you talking so weird?" asked Chad.

"_Iiiiiiiii_ do that sometimes," replied PJ.

"Well, I can't wait to meet your new girlfriend," said Skylar. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll text you later so we can arrange our double date. See you later." She and Chad stepped back inside the apartment and shut the door.

PJ took a deep breath and began to walk towards the elevator. _Well, time to get a girlfriend_, he thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Penthouse, the kids were preparing to initiate the plan that would get them to the penthouse without Jessie knowing.

Gabe stood in the living room of the penthouse with Luke and Zuri.

Emma and Rosie looked down at them from the top of the balcony.

"Hey, guys, I just got a text from Tony saying that Jessie is on her way up," announced Emma.

"Okay, that means that when the nanny walks in here, Operation: Get to the roof, begins," said Gabe. "Remember everything that we planned. If one person forgets their contribution, the whole mission is jeopardized."

"Wow, you're hard core," observed Zuri.

"Hey, you can't do these types of things if you're not hard core," said Gabe. "This is the first time I've done a mission like this."

"True that," agreed Luke. He and Gabe did a fist pump.

A second later, there was a ding and the elevator doors opened.

A woman who matched the description of Jessie stepped into the room followed by…_Bob and Tony_?

This caught Gabe off guard, but he didn't have to worry much since it wasn't his turn to speak.

"Hey, Jessie, I saw this really fat rat in my room and several more roaches," said Luke. "I'd deal with it, but I think the rat bites."

"Really?" said Jessie. "This is what happens when you keep a pizza under your bed for a month."

"And it still tasted delicious," said Luke, looking into the distance.

While Jessie made gagging noises, Bob spoke up. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm here, since I'm an exterminator," he said as he put down his luggage, Toby's carrier, and the umbrella.

A moment later, Bob noticed his son. "_Gabe_?" asked Bob. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Teddy was irresponsible with money, so I pulled a few strings and landed here," said Gabe. "Can you _believe_ that your perfect angel was irresponsible?"

At that moment, Teddy and Charlie walked out of the screening room into the living room. "Hey, Emma, do you—?" Teddy immediately stopped when she saw her father. "_Oh_, this does not look good."

"No kidding," said Bob. "Can someone explain to me why you, Gabe and Charlie are in a stranger's house?"

"Oh, and you're setting a good example," said Teddy.

"I'm here for an extermination job," explained Bob. "Wait, is PJ here with you?"

"Yeah, _about_ that," said Gabe. "He went to visit Skylar."

Bob out a hand on his face. "Of course he did."

"Wait a second, you know these kids that I've _never seen before_?" said Jessie, who was giving Emma stern look.

"These are my children," said Bob. Suddenly, his phone rang out.

"Hold on, I have to take this," he said after looking at it.

Bob answered the phone. "Hello?" Immediately, he had to hold it away from his ear. Even from the distance he stood from his father, Gabe could hear his mother screaming on the phone.

"Whoa! Amy calm down!" said Bob. "You're talking so loud that I can't understand you."

The screaming stopped and Bob put the phone back against his ear. After a few seconds, he widened his eyes. "Oh, well…congrats!" he said. "But listen honey, I'll call you back. I kinda have uh—bigger problems to deal with. Love you. Bye!"

As Bob hung up the phone, Teddy asked what the call was about.

"Oh, well your mother, uh, she got the job," replied Bob. "That means that we'll be in this city in a while. So I might as well look at this rat and roach problem."

For a second, nothing was said, so Zuri hit Gabe lightly in the arm.

He shook his head, putting the recent development in the back of his head. "Uh, Dad and Jessie, why don't you two follow Emma and Rosie into Luke's room," he suggested. "They'll show you where the rat and roaches are."

The two adults jogged up the stairs and followed the two freshman girls down the hall. Thirty seconds later, Emma came down the stairs holding a duffel bag containing the cameras, tripods, and clapboard followed by Rosie, who had a few umbrellas.

"Luke, now!" ordered Emma. Her brother pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Immediately, a small, muffled explosion sounded from upstairs.

"Alright, at best, we have ten minutes until the sleeping gas wears off and my dad and Jessie wake up," said Gabe. "That's plenty of time for us to get to the roof and start filming."

He followed the Rosses and Rosie to the elevator, but Teddy grabbed his arm. "Gabe, what are you doing?" she asked. "We need to talk as a family about Mom's new job."

Gabe pulled his arm away. "I have a prior engagement," he told his sister. "Besides, with the way things are going, it looks like we'll be staying overnight."

**What do you think? Please let me know by reviewing.**

**~Jameer14**


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 7**

Jessie groaned as she woke up. The last thing that she remembered was that she and Bob were in Luke's room looking for the rats and roaches.

"Oh, good, you're awake," said Ravi. He had a gas mask on and was using a manila folder to wave the gas out of the open window into the rain outside.

A few feet next to Jessie, Bob sat up, rubbing his forehead. "Is his room always this toxic?" he asked.

Jessie shook her head. "It can be toxic at times, but not to that extent," she said. "In fact, I'm having the sneaking suspicion that Emma, Luke, Rosie and Zuri are up to something."

"If they're with Gabe, then they _are_ up to something," said Bob.

At that moment, the door opened and Teddy (who was holding Toby) entered the room followed by Charlie.

"Woa! What happened here?" asked Teddy after taking a look around the room.

Ravi looked at her. "Be careful, the gas might not be out, yet," he warned.

"Uh, oh," said Charlie. "Daddy farted." She turned around and ran out of the room.

"No, Charlie, it's not that kind of gas," said Bob. He got up to follow her, but his older daughter grabbed his arm.

"Dad, what are we going to do?" asked Teddy. "Shouldn't we sit and talk as a family now that Mom got the new job?"

Bob laughed. "_As a family_? Teddy, com on. We're missing Amy, PJ, and Gabe. Besides, the whole reason I'm here is to look at the pest control problem."

"And, if you do a good job, maybe I can convince my boss to let you and your family stay here until you family can get things sorted out," said Jessie. "Your family seems to be…special."

"That's because we are," said Bob. "And thanks for offering to let us stay. I'll talk it over with my wife after I take care of the pests. And I'll start with that right after I get Charlie. He left the room and walked down the hall.

Jessie stood up. "Ravi, do you happen to know why Luke felt the need to lead me and Bob into a gas trap?" she asked.

"I don't know," answered Ravi after he took off the gas mask and threw it on the floor. "I just finished an All my Children marathon with Mrs. Kipling that started at 4:30 A.M."

"Wow, that's a long marathon, seeing how it's 3:30 now," said Jessie. "Considering that some channels consider a marathon to be two hours."

"Wait a second, you watch soap operas?" asked Teddy.

"I find them quite intriguing," said Ravi. "The things people will do for the ones they love."

"So is Mrs. Kipling a mother, or a friend, or someone close to you?" asked Teddy.

"She's actually right there," said Ravi. He pointed towards the door.

Teddy turned around and saw the green water monitor. She yelped and almost dropped Toby as she jumped towards Jessie and Ravi.

Mrs. Kipling stuck out her tongue and growled.

"Oh, it looks like it is time for me and Mrs. Kipling to do our afternoon yoga in the living room," said Ravi. "Miss Teddy, would you like to join us?"

"Ah…no thanks," replied Teddy. "Maybe next time."

Ravi shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come on, Mrs. Kipling. Let us go and get our yoga clothes on"

He walked out of the room, followed by his lizard.

**Well, there's Chapter 7. What do you think? Please let me know by reviewing.**

**~Jameer14**


	8. Chapter 8

**Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 8**

PJ was amazed that in a city with such a large population (with presumably so many women), that you could get rejected so many times. He had spent the last fifteen minutes finding decently attractive girls, striking up a conversation and asked them out. All twenty said no. A lot of those conversations had ended with slaps to the face.

_I need a break_, though PJ as he rubbed his face. _I'll think better over food. Oh, hot dogs!_

He walked over to the vendor and ordered a hot dog with extra ketchup. As PJ pulled out his wallet to pay, he noticed that it had a different design than he remembered. Suddenly, it dawned on him.

_I forgot to return Gabe's wallet at the airport_, thought PJ. He saw a sign on the cart that said no credit or debit cards. _Crud. But Gabe never said I couldn't use his money to buy a hot dog._

PJ pulled out a ten dollar bill, gave it to the vendor and took his hot dog.

"Keep the change," said PJ before taking a bite of his food. Luckily, the rain had stopped, so his hot dog wasn't soggy.

At that moment, his phone went off, signaling a text message. PJ sighed, took out his phone and saw that his Teddy had sent him an address that was somewhere in New York City.

Two seconds later, a follow up text came. That one said: _PJ, dad wants u 2 come to the address i just sent u. Btw, mom got the job. ~teddy._

_Interesting_, thought PJ. He put his phone back in his pocket and took another bite of his hot dog. _Well, I might as well see the place Dad was able to get for us._

He showed the address to the vendor and asked where he could find it.

"Uh, it's actually around the corner," replied the vendor pointing towards a street corner. "And now, if you'd like to reflect your satisfaction with another tip—"

"I already let you keep the change," said PJ. "But here." He pulled a five from Gabe's wallet and slapped it onto the cart.

He took another bite of his hot dog and walked in the direction that the vendor had showed him.

* * *

Bob stood up. "Well, I can see where the bugs are getting in," he said. "But don't worry; it's an easy problem to fix."

"Really, that's great!" said Jessie. "Now we don't have to check the cereal boxes for ants anymore. Believe me; that was annoying."

The two were in the kitchen in the penthouse and Mr. Duncan had previously been on his hands and knees, using a flashlight as he looked around in the pantry.

"So, how much is it going to cost?" asked Jessie.

Bob took in a deep breath as he thought. "Well, since I'm in a new city, I have to go out and buy the materials, but then again, she's letting us stay," he murmured to himself.

"Do you need some time to decide?" asked Jessie.

"Nope! I think I have the right price in mind," said Bob. He pulled out a sticky note, wrote down a number and handed it to Jessie, who looked at it.

"This is perfect!" exclaimed the nanny. "I can't believe that I wasted my time trying to negotiate with all those other exterminators in this city."

At that moment, PJ walked into the kitchen, marveling at everything. "Woa, Dad, you really hit the jackpot this time," he said. "This is the nicest hotel we've ever been in."

"Uh, this isn't a hotel," said Jessie. "It's actually the penthouse where my charges and I live."

PJ shrugged. "Now it makes sense. You're here with criminals in exchange for not blowing their cover while they hide from police."

Bob shook his head. "No, this is Jessie, a nanny, and the kids she watches live here."

"They're from Juvie?" asked PJ. "Maybe we can turn them into the cops along with Gabe."

Bob sighed. "Sorry about him, Jessie. He's not exactly the sharpest knife in our collection."

"We have a knife collection now?" said PJ. "We'd better keep the Juvie kids away from it."

"Wow," said Jessie. "Anyway, I'll be right back. I need to get my checkbook."

PJ hesitated before speaking up. "Wait, there's something I need to ask you. Will you go out with me?"

**How'd you like the chapter? Please feel free to let me know.**

**~Jameer14**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about taking so long & the shortness of this chapter. I promise you the next will be longer and better. Anyway, I hope that you like this one, though. Enjoy!:**

**Chapter 9**

Everything was set up perfectly.

Since the rain had stopped, the filming was going to be easier since no one would have to hold an umbrella over the cameras to keep it dry. The two cameras had been set up at different angles, with Gabe and Luke standing in front of them.

"I don't get why you two get to be in the web series!" complained Zuri. "This was all my idea anyway."

"Because the camera loves me," Luke answered. He licked his fingers and wiped them over his eyebrows.

"Besides, you're the director, isn't that good enough," Gabe said.

"What good is that?" asked Zuri.

"You get to boss people around," replied Gabe.

"Oh, neat!" Zuri exclaimed. She turned to her sister. "Emma, go get me a latte."

"Uh, don't you think you're too young for that?" asked Emma. "Do you even know what a latte is?"

"No, I don't know what it is, but it sounds like something that someone in charge would want," replied Zuri.

Luke snickered. "You heard her, Emma. Get the coffee." That earned him a glare from his older sister as she headed towards the stairs leading into the building.

"What are we going to do without Emma?" asked Gabe. "She was supposed to hold the teleprompter posters for me and Luke to read."

"I'll do it!" volunteered Rosie.

"That's good! Make yourself useful," said Zuri. "Now it's time to start shooting. Time is money, people!"

"Uh, I hope you know that we're not really getting paid," Gabe said.

"Aren't you forgetting the five hundred thousand dollar reward?" reminded Zuri.

"That's a big if," said Gabe. "As much as I want us to split the prize money, I don't think we can do it."

Zuri put her hands up in the air. "Whatever. Let's just get started with the intro. Take one. Action." She put the clapboard in front of the camera, snapped it together, and stepped back behind the camera.

"Four friends, one murder, and fifty years of an unsolved crime," said Luke, reading from the poster that Rosie was holding. "The NYPD had put some of the best detectives in this area on the case. People from the FBI have tried, and had no luck."

"But that doesn't stop us from trying," Gabe said as he took a step towards the camera. "With technology to look at the evidence. We are going to solve the case that not even the best detectives from the 1960s and 70s couldn't solve."

Luke pulled a manila folder from behind his back. "The NYPD was generous enough to give us a portfolio describing all the people involved in the murder from May of 1963."

Gabe pointed at the camera. "Let's get a closer look!"

"CUT!" shouted Zuri. "I wasn't feeling any of that at all."

"Then why didn't you call cut instead of having us run the whole scene?" asked Gabe.

"Because I'm the director," answered Zuri. "I can do whatever I want."

"Maybe having Zuri as director wasn't such a good idea," whispered Luke.

"Ya think?" said Gabe.

**Well there we go. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review.**

**~Jameer14**


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